Notification issued for first phase of Gujarat Assembly polls

The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday issued notification for the first phase of Gujarat Assembly elections for 87 constituencies where voting will be held on December 13.

"The notification for the first phase polls has been issued today," Gujarat chief electoral officer Anita Karwal told reporters, adding that notification for elections to remaining 95 seats (of the total 182) in phase II will be issued on November 23.

Of the 87 constituencies in the first phase, 48 are in Saurashtra region, 35 in South Gujarat and four in Ahmedabad rural area.

The candidates can now file their nomination papers. The last date for filing of nomination forms is November 24 for the first phase.

However, Congress and BJP are yet to announce their candidates. State Congress leaders have gone to Delhi to finalise names for the first phase, party sources said here.

The BJP, which had carried out a major exercise of screening the candidates, is also in the process of sending names to Delhi for final approval from central leadership.

The third contender, Gujarat Parivartan Party (GPP) of former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, is also not ready with the list. It said it will come out with the list soon.

Meanwhile, electioneering which saw a lull on account of Diwali and Gujarati new year, is again picking up in the state.